Adobe This is a very basic tutorial on layer masks

Page 1 : A Simple Layer Mask

A layer mask is simply a way to hide parts of a picture or text. Even though the masked parts are hidden they are still available if you need them. In order to use a layer mask you need to understand two things: black takes away and white adds it back. When you create a layer mask your foreground and background colors change to black and white. If you fill an area on your layer mask with black, that area will disappear. However you use black, whether you use a brush, a selection, or a fill, the area will disappear. The reverse holds true if you use white. White will reveal all there is in the layer mask while black will hide all there is in a layer mask. This is a simple layer mask tutorial. The purpose of this tutorial is to mask the lettering so that it looks like it's behind the glass and so you can have a basic understanding of how a layer mask works.